Secrets of the Wasteland
by Mumpants300
Summary: Dr Richard Moreau is exiled from the Vault after being accused of a crime he did not commit.


Secrets of the Wasteland: Part One: The Fall of a Doctor

23 October 2077 19:28

The cries of the screaming woman were lost to the deafeningly unexplainable sound. A small boy stood watching the dark night sky illuminate with the falling bombs. The woman cried again, gagging on her screams. The boy, only nine years old, was witnessing the end of the world: the apocalypse. His mother was the only family he had, and she had loved him dearly. She had worked several jobs just to purchase the room in the Vault, a single room, for him alone.

"Richard!" she called. "Please to God, Richard, come inside!" He stared off knowing his mother was out there somewhere, in what in a few short hours would become the Wasteland. He was numb with fear and could not go to the woman calling him at the Vault door.

The woman called only once more, and then ran to him, picking him up, and ran back to the Vault. The door to the Vault bolted shut, not to be opened again until the greatest mistake the boy would ever make.

Seven Years Later

"Good Morning, citizens of Vault 8. To-day is a very special day for all young adults: The G-O-A-T, that's Generalised Occupational Aptitude Test. Get a good, healthy breakfast, and remember: there are no wrong answers!" came the cheery voice of the Overseer through the PA System. "And now for other announcements…"

Richard woke up every day to the Overseers announcements and listened to them diligently as he began his mornings. He had studied very hard for the G.O.A.T. wanting to prove to the other Vault Dwellers that he was not some riffraff who was simply lucky enough to get a room in a Vault, even though he was treated as such on a daily basis.

His room was down on the Second Level of the Vault, as were all of the rooms. He wore a typical Vault 8 jumpsuit, had brown hair, brown eyes, but despite his conformity, he was cast out by his peers. All the other inhabitants had been wealthy before The War, and had their entire family with them in the Vault. Richard was all alone.

When he had finished breakfast and his morning routine, Richard went to the classroom to take his G.O.A.T. "Ah, Mr Moreau, nice to see you on this fine day," said the class administrator. "Please everyone take your seat and we'll begin." The projector lit up and the test commenced.

9 November 2092 8:06

Eight years had passed since the G.O.A.T. and the boy of so long ago had become a man of four-and-twenty years. He had received the position of Vault Physician despite many of the Vault's inhabitant's distrust for Richard. His unorthodox methods of treatment turned many of the inhabitants away from the medical wing of the Vault. Nevertheless, not a single patient of his ever needed his treatment again and in fact was healthier than ever before; all except one.

A young girl of dark complexion walked into the office of the physician. "Dr Moreau?" she asked.

"Yes, my dear?" replied the doctor. The girl took a seat on a stool and kicked her feet up and down, looking round the room childishly. The girl had been born in the Vault and had many health concerns. Because of her frequenting the Moreau's office, they had formed a bond with each other. He repeated his question to her.

"Dr Moreau, can you make me all better?"

Without hesitation, he replied, "Certainly." He sterilised a syringe and injected it into the young girl. Within a few minutes her rapid movement slowed, her slurred speech became clearer, and her eyes lost some of their cloudiness. He disposed of the syringe and let the girl be on her way, knowing in his mind the girl was a lost cause and in a few days she'd need another injection just as she had days ago.

9 November 2092 22:01

Dr Richard Moreau sat in his swivel chair, rocking round and round, biting the tip of a pencil, deep in thought. The lights in the office were off and the door was locked. Suddenly, he was jarred out of his daydream by the shouts of many of the Vault Dwellers and the banging on the door. As quickly as he could he opened the door to be staring at the angry eyes of the Overseer.

"Get out of here, scum!" "Childkiller!" shouted the people. The Overseer stood there shaking his head. Finally, he silenced the crowd and said, "Richard Moreau, you are hereby exiled from Vault 8 forever on the charge of murder." Richard's heart sank. He never killed anyone, never. Never.

The parents of the young girl approached the Doctor. Both were angry, but there was no sign of tears in their eyes. They both spat on him and marched off, the crowd following them. The Overseer stayed and glared at Moreau. "I cannot believe you. I've watched you grow and I saw a man with promise. You had great potential, Richard. We've all known of your little experiments, but how could you take the life of another; and a child at that?" Moreau couldn't answer. He took a deep breath and was escorted by two Vault Guards to the uppermost level of the Vault where they eventually made it to the large Vault door.

The door opened, the guards pushed him out, the door closed. Dr Richard Moreau stood once again where he had stood when he was only a little boy. What had once been the great state of Nevada was now an unrecognisable Wasteland. His head throbbed. He was all alone in a place that he had once known, but was now unfamiliar to him, with only a Lab Coat and Vault 8 jumpsuit. He stood, staring blankly at the nothingness, fell to his knees, and cried.


End file.
